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Stiles stared at the sticker for a long time. He couldn’t keep walking by. His eyes immediately honed in on the sticker on the hallway wall. He was disgusted—it was a sticker of the rainbow flag with a no symbol stamped over it. He immediately ripped it off the wall, leaving a sticky solution in its wake. He looked around, noticing that none of the students reacted. He was going to bring it to his meeting with the principal. He had seen these stickers on line, some strange way for people to feel empowered by spreading their hate and bigotry.
“Stiles, I’m sure it was a student who thought they were being cool,” the principal tried to reason.
“Cool?” Stiles snapped. “You do realize that this is a hateful act, don’t you?” He demanded as he gestured towards the ripped sticker. “This isn’t about me feeling comfortable with myself or in this school. This is about the kids.” He took a deep breath. “Look, I understand that some kids feel that the Day of Silence can be alienating, but that doesn’t mean that they can do things like this. This is a physical embodiment of the bigotry these kids face on a daily basis, not just from the school, but from society in general. Some of these kids are afraid of be out at home—that their parents might see them as invalid.”
“Stiles—”
“No,” Stiles argued. “This is an anti circle around the pride flag. Do you not understand that?”
“I was going to say that I’d make an announcement. Saying that this behavior is unacceptable—in any degree of manner,” the principal offered. “They need to know that it’s not okay. I honestly think that they don’t understand the repercussions acts like these can have.”
Stiles nodded in acceptance.
“Now, I know that you participate in the Day of Silence every year, but perhaps it would be better for you to be a voice of defense this year,” the principal offered.
Stiles took a moment, thinking about it before accepting. “It would be better.”
~*~
“It was an anti circle wrapped around the pride flag, Derek,” Stiles yelled from his pacing in the kitchen as he pried at the bottle of wine. “How can the world continue to create homophobic people to send out into the world and create more—”
“—hate and fear,” Derek finished as he stilled Stiles’ movements, taking the bottle from his hand. “Stiles, you did good today,” he stated.
“Well,” Stiles corrected him. “I did well.”
“No, smartass, you did good,” Derek corrected him as he loosened some of the corkscrew to make it easier to pry the cork out. “You did a good deed by confronting it.”
Stiles crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I just—” He released a dejected growl that ended in a snort as he watched Derek fill a wine glass for him. “I can’t stand to think that there are kids who saw that—who somehow think that they aren’t allowed to exist now.” He took the wine glass from Derek.
“Hey,” Derek started, pulling Stiles closer. “You have been doing a fantastic job being a voice for kids all throughout the school. You bring attention to the problems, you let kids know you are there for them and willing to fight on their side.”
“I’ve just been doing the Day of Silence … well, since high school. And you know how hard it is for me to stay silent for a few minutes.” He smiled when Derek laughed, nodding in agreement. “I work really hard to be there for them, to show that it’s okay for students to partake.”
“I’ll do,” Derek offered.
“Do what?” Stiles questioned.
“I’ll do the Day of Silence for you,” Derek explained, releasing his hold on Stiles as he turned to pour himself a glass of wine. “I know I’ll be at work, but I’ll be silent. I’m on desk duty tomorrow anyways. Your dad will agree.”
Stiles leaned forward, pulling Derek back to kiss him. “You’re unbelievable, you know that?”
“I know,” Derek replied, pressing another kiss to Stiles’ lips.
“I love you,” Stiles stated.
“I know.”
~*~
Stiles was furious. He angrily threw his messenger bag onto his desk before marching back to his door. He took a picture of the sticker before reaching out to tear it off. He stopped, contemplating how to continue. He called the office, telling Heather that he had to speak with the principal—immediately. Next, he called Derek.
“Babe, I know you said you wouldn’t speak today,” Stiles started when Derek silently answered the phone. “Someone put one of those stickers on my door. Over my safe-space decal, Derek.”
“I’m coming down,” Derek immediately answered.
“Derek—”
“Stiles, I’m coming down,” Derek repeated, a faint voice in the distance. “Your father is, too.”
Stiles partially groaned when Derek hung up the phone, knowing that people were going to point a finger at him—the gay teacher whose husband and father were police officers. Accusations about conflicts of interest already started to flash before him. He knew it was going to be a nightmare.
“Mr. Stilinski-Hale?”
Stiles turned around to see one of his students, Marco, standing by the door. “Hey, Marco.”
“Um, Mr. S, I know it’s Day of Silence, but … ” Marco paused, hiking his bag up his shoulder. He was a little surprised that Stiles was talking, everyone knowing that he partook in the Day of Silence. “I didn’t know who to tell. And you always said that your classroom was a safe-space—for anyone.”
Stiles nodded.
“I just don’t want to be a tattler,” Marco explained.
“Marco, people call those who tell the truth tattlers because they want to discourage them from telling the truth,” Stiles explained. “It’s because they know they’ll get in trouble for their actions if those people were to talk.”
Marco sighed. “I saw who put the anti-Day of Silence sticker on your door.”
“Anti … ” Stiles looked at his door.
“That’s what they’re calling it,” Marco stated. “They’re saying that they’re just expressing themselves—that they don’t have to silently take the LGBT’s propaganda.”
Stiles was furious. “If you tell me Marco, I won’t bring your name up to the principal. You don’t have to be named.”
“But if I don’t … They’ll just say you’re biased,” Marco stated.
Stiles straightened some, realizing that Marco probably had figured it out. Stiles was one of the only teachers in the school who didn’t talk about his spouse. He never said that Derek was his husband when telling a story about him. He never mentioned that he had a husband, conscious that anyone—student, parent, colleague—could accuse him of teaching or influencing his own agenda on the students. Accusations like that happened to more people and more often than Stiles liked to admit.
“Marco, you don’t have to worry about it,” Stiles stated. “I’ll make sure to handle this.”
“My moms,” Marco started, looking down at the ground. “They’d be really upset seeing something like that— I’m really upset seeing something like that. And if they get away with it now, then they are going to think they can do other stuff like this—worse things—once they are older.”
“I saw it too, Mr. S,” a female voice came from the hallway.
Stiles looked up. “Abbie?”
Abbie came into the room, hugging her binder to her chest. “It was part of the basketball team,” she stated. “You know, that locker room mentality.”
Stiles sighed, already getting a headache. He turned to look out the classroom window when he heard a car door slam. “Would it be alright if I let the principal know about this? That you guys saw?”
Abbie nodded. Marco hesitated before nodding as well.
“Thanks, guys,” Stiles offered a small smile as he looked up at the clock. “Homeroom isn’t for a while, you can hang out here until then, but I have to head to the office.”
~*~
“It’s a hate crime,” the Sheriff snapped.
“Dad,” Stiles grabbed his dad to stop him from going into the office. “I don’t think those kids know I’m bi,” he explained. “None of the kids do, I don’t think. I don’t have a picture of Derek on my desk—I never mention that I have a husband.”
“Stiles, I’m sure some of the parents and kids have seen you and Derek at the grocery store before,” the Sheriff countered.
“It’s still a general lack of respect and vandalism,” Derek answered, pulling the conversation back to the situation.
“Aren’t you supposed to be silent today?” Stiles asked with a faint fondness.
“Don’t try and simmer me down,” Derek answered.
“All I’m saying is that they were kids who thought they were speaking their mind without realizing how hurtful they are being,” Stiles stated. “We need to create a dialogue—we need to talk the issues through. And we can’t do that if you come in, guns blazing.” He looked at his dad.
“Something needs to be done, though,” the Sheriff reasoned.
“I talked to the principal about the last time,” Stiles stated. “This time, two kids told me they witnessed who did it. Some of the kids are on the basketball team, apparently.” He side-eyed Derek.
“Regardless,” the Sheriff stated. “I want to talk to the principal about having a school wide meeting to talk about this. About a way to promote respecting other people and their dignity.”
Stiles nodded, letting his dad head into the office. He stopped Derek. “Are you okay?”
Derek hesitated before offering a curt nod.
“That was in no way convincing,” Stiles answered. “You’re not going to talk to me?” he asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“I used to be on the basketball team,” Derek replied, turning to look down the hall. He caught sight of the various trophies and awards lining the walls.
“And I used to be on the lacrosse team,” Stiles mimicked.
“I used to be … I hold some records, Stiles,” Derek replied. “And thinking that … It’s hard to think that some of them—”
“—Might look up to you, but think stuff like this is okay,” Stiles knowingly finished. He reached a hand out, taking hold of Derek’s.
Derek offered a small smile to let Stiles know he was okay.
“I wish it wasn’t against school policies for me to kiss my husband on school grounds,” Stiles stated. “I’d kiss you senseless right now, if I could.”
“I’ll hold that to you for when you get home,” Derek answered.
~*~
Stiles was glad that the school assembly the next day went over well. There were several tears shed, both happy and upset with everything that was transpiring. Stiles, and several of the other teachers, promoted themselves and their rooms as being safe-spaces, adding that they don’t take kindly to people trying to bully them into not being neutralizing forces when it came to discrimination.
Stiles was nervous when he was pulled into the office along with the students who were accused of the act of placing the “anti-Day of Silence” stickers around the school.
“As you said, no one saw the stickers,” one of the parents argued.
“Some students did see the stickers,” the principal started. “But it was Mr. Stilinski-Hale who was specifically targeted by these actions.”
The parent side-eyed Stiles. Stiles tried to remain calm under such a critical look.
“I think they’ve learned that it’s not accepted,” another parent stated.
“Just because you think people haven’t seen the stickers, doesn’t mean they should be excused for putting them up to begin with,” Stiles stated. “And it’s not only not accepted, but should be pointed out as being cruel actions towards others.”
“Thank you, Mr. Stilinski-Hale,” the principal quickly stated, giving Stiles a look that told him to tread carefully.
~*~
“I’m not suspended,” Stiles explained as he collapsed on the bed, not bothering to pull the comforter back.
“That’s good,” Derek replied, pulling a pair of his old college sweatpants.
“But I don’t know if those kids are going to get in trouble,” Stiles complained, looking up at Derek.
“Well,” Derek started, moving to crawl over Stiles’ body. He easily straddled his hips, slightly laughing when Stiles let out a huff of air as he rested his weight on him. “You proved to them that you, the school, and other students, aren’t going to stand for their prejudice behavior and backwards beliefs. And that, is more powerful than nothing.”
“What’s the point of the Day of Silence if assholes like that can just stomp on it?” Stiles half-heartedly asked as he places his hands on Derek’s hips, a way to ground himself.
“Do you know why I never did the Day of Silence with you?” Derek asked as he leaned forward, placing his weight on the bed beside Stiles’ arms.
Stiles shrugged. “Because it’s impossible to read someone their Miranda Rights when you can’t speak?”
“No,” Derek replied with a soft smile. “I never did it because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to stick up for others. I used to see kids trying to get people participating in the Day of Silence to talk—because they thought it was funny. I saw them getting bullied for making a statement about the way bullying was silenced. And I could never be quiet about it. I always said something back because I couldn’t stand it. And part of me knew that I’d never have the strength to stand there and continue my vow. But you—Stiles, you do the Day of Silence even when you have to teach kids. You do the impossible, and I admire you for it.”
Stiles smiled, leaning his head up off the bed to kiss Derek. “I can do it because I know you’ve got my back. And because I’m loud enough for the two of us usually.”
Derek chuckled. “You happen to make the silent demonstration of the Day of Silence be rather loud.”
“And you love me for it,” Stiles answered.
“I know.”
“I can’t believe I’ve set you up to Han Solo me so many times,” Stiles laughed as he kissed Derek.
Stiles wasn’t going to let it go quietly into the night. He wasn’t going to let the senseless discrimination to continue. The Day of Silence was the day meant to bring to light the bigotry and hardships the LGBT community faced time and again. The world needed more people like his father and Derek; Abbie and Marco. The world needed that good. The world needed to stop and pay attention. It needed change, and Stiles wasn’t about to stop himself from trying to achieve it—whether it was as silent as a mouse or as loud as a cannon.